Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever! 9th Sunday after Pentecost; August 10, 2025

Sat 8/9/25 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy +Souls in Purgatory by Marian Luther
Sun 8/10/25 9:30am Divine Liturgy +Mitchell Habil (6th Anniv. Of Passing) by Anna and Greg Habil
Wed 8/13/25 7:00pm Liturgy for Healing +Bob Yohe by Marian Luther
Fri 8/15/25 9:30am Dormition Divine Liturgy +Patti Oleksa by Pocchiari Family
Fri 8/15/25 7:00pm Dormition Vespers with Eucharist
Sat 8/16/25 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy +John Kovchak by Drew Moniot
Sun 8/17/25 9:30am Divine Liturgy +Robert Hutnick by Paulette, Debbie & Dawn

Variable Parts Tone 8 - Pages 161 - 162
Epistle 1 Corinthians 3:9-17
Gospel Matthew 14:22-34

Memorial Candle Request:    No Candle Request

Epistle Readers 9-Aug Mary Troyan  10-Aug Mike Dancisin   16-Aug John Baycura/Mary Motko 17-Aug Kathy Moyta

Please Pray for: Lejen Warner, Sharon King, Ole J. Bergh, Liz Moyta, Fr. Michael Huszti, Fr. Laska, Susie Curcio, Teresa Milkovich, Robert Saper, Anna Habil, Martha Sapar, Mike Dancisin, Karen Smaretsky Vavro, Diane Sotak, Anna Pocchiari, Larry Hamil, Beverly Jones, Maryann Russin Schyvers, Nick Russin and Ken Konchan

Attendance: 8/2-22     8/3-91;    Collection: 8/2 and 8/3 - $2,752.00

Gibsonia Schedule
Sun   8/10/25 11:30am    Divine Liturgy   9th Sunday after Pentecost
Sat   8/16/25 10:00am    Liturgy with lunch with the archibishop     Dormition of the Theotokos
Sun   8/17/25 3:00pm   Divine Liturgy with the archibishop 50th anniversary of the church

Honoring the Theotokos: During August and September, we honor/venerate The Blessed Mother because of the Feast Days celebrated — the Dormition and her Birth. Help us honor her by sharing your favorite icon of the Theotokos. It can be of her image or a feast day. They will be displayed in the Church Windows. Stands will be provided if needed. Remember to put your name on the back so we know who it belongs to. Place your icon at any window you like. Labels are available on the readers lectern if you need one.

Dormition Flowers: Please remember to bring flowers for the Dormition to place near the tomb when you come to Divine Liturgy on August 15h.

Church Picnic: The Church Picnic will be held on Sunday, August 24th. We will once again be playing Bingo! Please consider donating prizes! The more prizes the more games we can have! We will need prizes for both kids and adults. Please wrap the gifts and mark as adult or kid. Thank you so much! Questions....see Amanda Stavish. The picnic will be held at Connoquenessing Park. The address is: 228 Constitution Ave. Connoquenessing, PA 16027

Student Food Pantry: Our parish will begin collecting food for school age children. Each month will be a different food item. For August, it will be soups, and the donations can be placed in the baskets supplied. Any questions, contact Pam Gagen.

Shoe Box Kids: Attention back to school shoppers, don't forget to buy extra school supplies for the Shoe Box Kids. The kids need school supplies, clothing, underwear, hats, gloves, toiletry items, etc. No liquid or toothpaste, please. The children are ages 2-14. There will be a box in the vestibule for you to place your items in, which our Religious Education students will pack in distribution boxes in November as part of their social services project.

Polka Party 50/50 Tickets: Please pickup your 50/50 tickets in the vestibule. If you do not find your name, use a blank envelope from the back of the box and ask us to add you to the mailing list. Last year's winner received over $600.00! Envelopes of tickets which are not picked up will be mailed.

Upcoming Event Dates: 1. The Polka Ball will be held Saturday, September 6th at the Highfield Community Center, which is a new venue for this event. 2. Our church rummage sale will take place on October 10th and 11th. Donations may be dropped off September 28th - October 5th.

Dormition of our Lady Theotokos: After the Ascension, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John. She was a source of consolation and edification both for the Apostles and for all believers. The reverence of the Apostles for the Most Holy Virgin was extraordinary. The faithful gathered together, says Saint John of Damascus, like clouds and eagles, to listen to the Mother of God. During the persecution initiated by King Herod against the young Church (Acts 12:1-3), the Most Holy Virgin and the Apostle John withdrew to Ephesus in the year 43. At the time of Her Dormition, the Most Holy Virgin Mary was again in Jerusalem. Day and night She spent her - time in prayer. In one of her visits to Golgotha, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her and announced Her approaching death. The Mother of God returned to Bethlehem with the three girls attending Her (Sepphora, Abigail, and Jael). She summoned Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and other disciples of the Lord, and told them of Her impending Repose.

Then came 3rd hour (9 A.M.), when the Dormition was to occur. A number of candles were burning. The holy Disciples surrounded her beautifully adorned bed, offering praise to God. Suddenly, the inexpressible Light of Divine Glory shone forth, before which the blazing candles paled in comparison. All who saw it took fright. Descending from Heaven was Christ, the King of Glory, surrounded by hosts of Angels and Archangels and other Heavenly Powers, together with the souls of the Forefathers and the Prophets, who had prophesied in ages past concerning the Most Holy Virgin Mary. Seeing Her Son, the Mother of God exclaimed: "Aly soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God My Savior, for He hath regarded the low estate of His Handmaiden" (Luke 1:46-48) and, rising from Her bed to meet the Lord, She bowed down to Him, and the Lord bid Her enter into Life Eternal. Without any bodily suffering, as though in a happy sleep, the Most Holy Virgin Mary gave Her soul into the hands of Her Son and God.

The Twelve Apostles carried the funeral bier upon their shoulders. With the start of the procession there suddenly appeared over the all-pure body of the Mother of God a resplendent circular cloud, like a crown. There was heard the singing of the Heavenly Powers, glorifying the Mother of God. Unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem, taken aback by the extraordinarily funeral procession, complained of this to the High Priest and scribes. Burning with envy they sent out their own servants to disrupt the procession and to set the body of the Mother of God on afire, but the circular cloud accompanying the procession descended and surrounded them like a wall.

For three days they did not depart from the place of burial, praying and chanting Psalms. Through the providence of God, the Apostle Thomas was not to be present at the burial. Arriving late, he asked that he might be permitted to look once more upon the Mother of God. Having opened the grave, they found in it only the gave wrappings. On the evening of the same day, when the Apostles had gathered at a house to strengthen themselves with food, the Mother of God appeared to them and said: "Rejoice! I am with you all the days of your lives." This so gladdened the Apostles and everyone with them, that they took a portion of the bread, set aside at the meal in memory of the Savior ("the Lord's Portion"), and they exclaimed: "Most Holy Theotokos, save us". (This marks the beginning of the rite of offering up the "Panagia" ("All-Holy"), a portion of bread in honor of the Mother of God)